Arctic Flower

Sometime ago I was reading this at Making Casual Games blog. After being couple of years developing games with Game Maker, I just can’t agree more with the article. When it comes to freeware and shareware games, it’s very important to give good first impression to the player. In this article I will cover some of my thoughts related to the first impressions.

Why it is so important?

Like said in arcticle of Making Casual Games, player who has downloaded your game wants to play it and wants that it’s good. Most of people just look your game’s screenshots and description and continues browsing. Your first goal as a developer is to get them download your game. Many people try to affect this by good looking screenshots when game’s action is in full swing.

How to create good first impression then?

However, in my experience this may not be enough. Many people overlook how their game starts and how their menu is looking. And not just menus, first seconds of gameplay itself have to be easy to figure out and not too hard. Instead of making main menu as fast as possible just by adding some static bitmaps with “Play game” text, you should make them as carefully as rest of the game. Make some nice animations for buttons so that they really seem to react when you hover them with cursor. Sounds with buttons are not bad thing as long as they aren’t too noisy or generic. Put some of your best photoshopping to the first screens of game to give player feel that your game is really professional. Return to Sector 9’s starting menu really fascinated me.

Along with graphics, you should see that very first experience of the gameplay isn’t too overwhelming for the player. Build user friendly tutorial or first level which introduces new player to your game. In casual games, first level usually can’t be too easy. You can add difficulty later in the game if you want. I would also recommend to add some nice effects and graphics especially to the first levels. Of course whole game has to look good, but to raise player’s impression of game you should add some nice effects and graphics to the first levels even if s/he just kills green lv.1 alien worms.

I have now spoken mostly about graphics and you may probably think something like “Hey! Gameplay is the most important!”. Yes, good gameplay which is easy to learn keeps player playing. However, to get player play your game long enough so that s/he will actually find the real gameplay is often best to do with graphics and effects which creates professional feeling to your game. After player has found your great gameplay, graphics and effects kind of lose some of their meaning (which doesn’t mean that you can use crappy graphics in later of the levels!)

Conclusion

To give good first impression which will keep player with game enough long that they get hooked remember these things:

• Good looking graphics, sounds and special effects create professional feel.
• Design beautiful and easy to use menus.
• Take care that even first levels show some cool effects and features to add professional feeling.
• Keep first levels easy and rather simple. Give player some time to get familiar with your game.

I hope this little article will help you to boost your game’s ratings and professional feeling. Never underestimate the first few minutes and seconds! Most of potential players stop there.